Star of Bethlehem – what star are you following?

One of the coolest stories about Christmas is that of the wise men and how they followed the “Star of Bethlehem” to find Jesus – the king of the Jews. We find the story in Matthew 2:1-11-

They Followed the Star of Bethlehem

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

7Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

5 Interesting Facts

There are 5 interesting facts about the story of the wise men I want you to take note of;

There were “some” wise men. Tradition speaks of there being “3 Wise Men”. There may have been 3, but it could of been just two or it might have been 7 or more.

The wise men were seeking the “King of the Jews”. These were men of great learning. They were seeking Jesus – the Savior of the world. They knew of the prophecies of His coming like the one quoted in verse 6 which was Micah 2:4&5. Wise men still seek Him.

The wise men were seeking Jesus to “worship Him” and bring Him gifts. We come to worship Jesus too! “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord: Psalm 150:6 “

The wise men came from the east, probably from the area of present day Iraq and did not arrive until 18-24 months after the birth of Jesus. They were not there the night Jesus was born. They had to travel hundreds of miles and overcome many challenges and obstacles to get to Jesus. Sometime we have to overcome challenges and obstacle to get to Jesus, but it is worth the pursuit.

The wise men followed the “star of Bethlehem”. I have a question for you “WHAT STAR ARE YOU FOLLOWING?”

What Star Are You Following

Today many follow all kinds of “stars” – movie stars, tv stars, rock stars, country stars, sports stars, even church stars. We follow them on facebook, twitter, and instagram. Many of them become faithful, committed and fervent followers of these “stars”. Others follow other kinds of stars – riches, fame, and power. The problem with everyone of these stars are they lead no where or even worse they can lead to trouble and disappointment.

Bright and Morning Star – Jesus

Why not choose to follow the “Star of Jesus”? He is – THE STAR! Revelation 22:16 identifies Him as the – “Bright and Morning Star” And here is the thing, when you follow His star you will not be disappointed. You will find hope, peace, joy, forgiveness, purpose, destiny, and everlasting life!

The best news is anybody who wants to – can follow the bright and morning star! God so loves everyone that whosoever will call upon His name and follow Him will receive life! (John 3:16) When you choose to seek Him and worship Him – He forgives your sins, He makes you new, He restores, and heals your life. Following the star of Jesus is not just about reaching a destiny, but it’s about following Him every day of your life. When you do He gives wisdom, provision, help, deliverance and protection every day of your life!

What star are you following? Wise men still seek Him and follow the bright and morning star – Jesus! Choose to follow the bright and morning star – Jesus every day!

Bruce is a pastor, speaker, Bible teacher, and consultant to pastors and churches. He has over 35 years of leadership experience in business and ministry. As a pastor he has a passion to help people experience the abundant life provided through Jesus and is committed to teach and communicate the principles of God’s Word with clarity, simplicity and boldness. He is uniquely gifted to help churches and ministries experience “breakthrough” for greater success and impact.
Bruce has a Masters Degree in Business management and has written several books including; What’s Next, The God Factor, Just Let It Go, The Little Red Book for Parents, God is For You, The Elementary Principles of Christianity, 5 Principles of Breakthrough, The Power of Half, and others. He served over 28 years at Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma as Senior Associate Pastor. He is CEO of Bruce Edwards Ministries (BEM) which is focused on helping churches and ministries “breakthrough” to greater impact and growth. He provides staff development training, leadership training, Church growth assessments and planning, financial assessments, and other services for leaders, churches and ministries.
He and his wife have been married for over 43 years. They have 2 children and 6 grandchildren.
Acts 20:24 (NIV) is one of his a favorite verses -
“I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

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A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber...."I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
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"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."